A Livingston Parish grand jury on Thursday indicted Springfield's mayor and police chief on charges they conspired to hide a woman's 2011 drunken driving citation. The four-count indictment charges Mayor Charles Martin and Police Chief James Jones with obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice, injuring public records and criminal conspiracy to injure public records, according to Louisiana Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell's office. Martin and Jones were booked on related charges last year.

David Caldwell, assistant attorney general

Caldwell's office said the 62-year-old mayor and 48-year-old police chief plotted to conceal evidence and obstruct the prosecution of a woman arrested in April 2011 on suspicion of drunken driving. Martin and the woman had a mutual friend who lobbied the mayor to help her, according to Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell.

Martin and Jones didn't immediately respond to a message left at the town's administrative office.

Caldwell said the plot allowed the woman, Tyra Jones, to plead guilty to a less serious charge of reckless driving and pay a fine. The drunken driving citation was never submitted to the local district attorney's office, according to Caldwell.